Miraculous Cuteness
by little-miss-hug-and-kiss
Summary: Hello, yes, just another collection of oneshots (because those have never been done before) of Marichat and LadyNoir. Read/review is always appreciated as well as whatever other pairings you'd like to see!
1. Mari's Chat er, Cat

**Mari's Chat… er, Cat**

Summary: Marinette loses her pet kitten and a helpful feline superhero shows up to help her.

"Kitty! Where are you?" Marinette called as she walked through the park. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

"And you're sure he's not at your house?" Alya asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I checked all over!" she despaired. "And just when Mama and Papa agreed to let me have the responsibility of a pet!"

Alya laughed. "Girl, you would lose your head if it wasn't attached to your body. Things always manage to turn up though. Let me check by the school again. You keep looking here."

"Alright," the flustered girl said. "Did I mention you're the best friend ever?"

"Only about a million times," Alya winked. "But it never hurts to hear it again."

As Alya walked off, Mari peered around the carousel. "Come on, you silly kitten! Am I really that bad an owner that you ran away after one week?"

She got down on her hands and knees, crawling around the carousel to peer under the bottom. She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice the figure in front of her until she ran right into it. "Oof!" she exclaimed, rubbing her head and looking up.

A cheeky, leather-clad superhero peered back at her with a slight tilt to his head. "Whatcha doin', Princess?"

Marinette sighed, standing and brushing her shirt off. "I don't have time for your games today, Chat Noir." She walked past him, looking up into the trees for any sign of the animal.

"Looking for something?" he guessed, coming up to walk alongside her.

She fought the instinct to roll her eyes. "Yes, but I can do it on my own."

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to a stop as he smiled widely. "Please, Princess," he said, bowing. "I live to serve. What are we looking for?"

"Would you stop that?" she said, nervously looking around. "People are staring."

"Only if you let me help," he replied.

Oh, she was going to kill him the next time she was Ladybug! "Fine," she grumbled. "I'm looking for my pet kitten. He ran away today."

"Meowch! I thought I was the only feline in your life," he said, pouting a bit.

"I thought you were going to help me," Marinette said, placing her hands on her hips to look at Chat sternly.

"Easy, Princess," he said with a wink. "I never go back on my word. What's the little guy's name?"

Here, Marinette blushed entirely. She was _not_ about to tell him what the kitten's real name was. So instead she blurted out the first name she could think of. "Adrien."

Chat looked taken aback for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "Adrien, huh? Sounds like a cool cat. Named after somebody you know?"

Marinette blushed even more, if it was possible. _Idiot!_ She was _not_ about to explain Adrien Agreste to someone as callous as him. "Something like that," she mumbled. "Anyway, I've already checked all over."

"Well, two sets of eyes are always better than one, right?" he said, placing his hand on his forehead and swiveling his head back and forth. "And I've been told I'm pretty claw-some as a lookout."

Marinette groaned, facepalming. If she didn't find this cat, her parents would be furious. They'd never trust her with anything again. Oh no. What if Adrien heard about this? He would never go out with somebody who lost her own cat! What if he thought she was a bad pet owner? What if he thought she was a horrible person? He would never date a horrible person!

"Hey, are you okay?" Chat asked, seeing her face go dark.

She bit her lip. "I just need to find him, that's all. He was my first big responsibility, and he's just a baby. I can't imagine the kind of trouble he's in."

"We'll find him, promise," the feline superhero said with confidence. "I won't rest until it's done."

"Thanks, Chat," she said, uncharacteristically soft. Minus the puns and bravado, he could actually be a pretty sweet guy. Marinette blushed. "A-anyway, my friend Alya went to look by the school. Could you help me look through the trees here?"

He nodded, extending his pole to reach the branches of the first tree then hopping tree to tree, alternately whistling and calling 'Adrien.' The sight of it was silly enough to make her laugh. Maybe she was too hard on him. Maybe-

"Marinette! I found him!" Alya yelled. Mari whirled around and saw her best friend bounding toward her, a small black kitten in her hands. "I found Chat Noir!"

Marinette froze, her whole face and neck going beet red as Alya kept calling, "I found Chat Noir!"

"Alya, shhhh!" her friend shushed her, collecting the clambering kitten from Alya's hands.

"What?"

"Just… ugggh! Let's go!" Marinette said, grabbing her friend by the elbow and pulling her out of the park, her face still flaming.

"What's the matter?" Alya said, when they got to the bakery.

"I just don't want the whole world to know I named my kitten after Chat Noir," Marinette explained. "But thanks, Alya! You're the best!"

"I know," she laughed. "I don't know why you're so embarrassed though. Chat Noir is the cat's pajamas!"

Marinette groaned at her friend's pun but joined in her laughter.

* * *

Back at the park, Chat laid on a branch, his head propped up in his hands. He smiled goofily as he watched Mari's quick retreat. He sighed, dropping out of the tree when she was finally out of sight.

"Plagg, claws in," he said.

The black kwami came flying out of his ring, spinning in the air for a few moments before righting himself. His lazy eyes fixed on Adrien, who was still looking in the direction that Marinette and Alya had gone. "Ooh, sweet love from a fair maiden?"

"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked, scowling slightly as Plagg flew into his shirt and retrieved a wedge of camembert.

The kwami ate it in one big bite. "The lady did name her cat after you," he pointed out.

Adrien scoffed. "Please, you pig. You know about as much about girls as you know about who Ladybug is. Still, I can't believe Mari named her cat after me… she must be a fan!"

Seeing his Miraculous-holder's noticeably brightened face, Plagg rolled his eyes. "Sure, I haven't sensed Tikki since day one or anything," the kwami muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Well, come on then," Adrien said, shooing him into his shirt. "I can't be late for fencing again."

With that, the blond model took off towards the school, pleasantly surprised that Mari, of all people, really liked him.


	2. M'lady's Birthday

**M'lady's Birthday**

Summary: Chat and Ladybug bond over birthdays.

Ladybug finished waving as the last of clapping died down from a crowd of Parisians gathered to celebrate the Miraculous pair getting a key to the city from Mayor Bourgeois. The mayor himself began giving a flourishing speech honoring the crime-fighting duo. As he did, a slightly bored Chat partook in one of his favorite pastimes: looking at his Lady.

As he did, he noticed something slightly different about her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She still had the hair so dark it looked blue, wide, sky-blue eyes, and a cute button nose. But her lips… He smiled widely, suddenly realizing what it was.

He subtly scooted his chair over towards her, attracting no suspicion from the crowd but very clearly annoying her as she gave him a threatening look. "Would you try to look professional? This ceremony is in our honor."

"M'lady, are you wearing lipstick?" he asked cheekily, propping his head on his hand.

Still looking forward, she blushed. "W-what? Where did you get that crazy idea from?"

"You are," he said more confidently. There was a slight pink sheen over her lips. It was very subtle, but it was there. Not everyone would be able to see it, but he was used to every state of makeup on his model coworkers' faces.

"And so what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Nothing, m'lady. On the contrary, I think that it's the cat's meow," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I just got it from my mother for my birthday, and she's been begging me to wear it so I finally did."

Chat's eyes went wide. "You had a birthday? And you didn't tell me?"

"I don't tell you a lot of things, Kitty," she pointed out, still watching the mayor. "But also, no, I didn't. We have to keep our identities secret, remember? And birthdays are a part of that."

"But did you get a lot of presents? And birthday wishes? Did you get a cake?"

She almost giggled, thinking of the huge cake her parents made for her every year, but she held it in. "Shh, Chaton," she said a little sternly, pointing towards the ceremony as the mayor motioned them forward for applause again.

* * *

"Hey, M'lady," Chat said conversationally one day when they were on patrol, waiting for an Akuma to surface. "Do you not like birthdays?"

"What?" she asked, turning to him. "Why do you think that?"

"You seemed upset when I mentioned it the other day. I wasn't sure," he replied, leaning against his pole as they paused on a rooftop.

"I like them as much as the next person, but…"

"But?"

"They're not so special, are they? I mean, I'm only getting a year older. The rest of it - the celebration, the gifts, the cake - that's just what people do. I'm grateful for what people do for me, I just don't see much… Chaton?" she paused, looking at her partner. His eyes were downcast, his shoulders hunched.

"You don't think so?"

"I… did I say something?" she asked, unaccustomed to a downtrodden Chat.

"My birthdays used to be really happy, and then after… well, after something happened, it was like nobody wanted to remember that it was my birthday. I'm sorry, M'lady, but with everything you say your family does for you, how can you _not_ think birthdays are special?"

"Chat…"

"Forget it," he said, putting on a falsely bright face. "I'm just _feline_ a little crazy today. Now, where were we?" He planted his pole on the sidewalk, pushing himself forward and onto the next rooftop.

The wheels in Marinette's head started to turn.

* * *

"Good evening, M'lady," a friendly voice said at Ladybug's ear. "Ready for another evening of keeping Paris safe?"

"Good evening, Chaton," she said, spinning around but keeping her hands behind her back.

He cocked his head. "Whatcha got there?" he asked.

She took a deep breath before presenting the wrapped package to him. "Happy birthday, Chat."

His eyes went wide. "I… what?"

She almost giggled. He was funny when he was speechless. "I was thinking about it, and I know I must have missed your birthday, too, by now… so here. From me to you."

He held the small package reverently before looking at her with a smile. "I have something for you, too. I wasn't sure still that birthdays were your thing, but…" he held out his hand, dropping something in hers.

She looked to see a tube of lipstick. When she opened it, she could see even in the dim light that it was bright red. She looked back at him.

"You know, red," he shrugged. "Goes better with the suit." She could almost swear he was blushing.

She smiled. "Your turn, Chaton."

He didn't need a second invitation. He quickly tore into the package, opening the small box and stopping when he saw what was inside. Ladybug blushed. "I know it isn't much… it's sort of like a lucky bracelet. Um… you know, to help maybe keep you safe."

He held it like she had given him the answer to life before he slipped it on his wrist. He looked back at her. "Purr-fect fit."

She rolled her eyes. "Again with the puns, Chat? Why do you-?"

She was cut off as he trapped her in a hug, squeezing her tightly. She was stiff at first, but with a small smile she drew her arms around him, squeezing just as tightly. She laughed after a moment.

"I take it you liked your present then, Chaton?" she teased.

He drew back, something strange in his eyes before he leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, M'lady."

Her face went scarlet red as he drew back once more, a small smirk on his face. He lunged forward with his pole, running along the roofs of Paris again. Marinette allowed herself a smile before she did the same.


	3. Plagg by Night

Plagg by Night

Summary: Plagg goes on another nighttime stroll through Paris on his own and meets an old friend.

A/N: Hey, guys! I know it may also be confusing because in "Mari's Chat, er, Cat" Plagg could sense Tikki's presence, but think of this as a separate line of thought where he can't. They're all unrelated one-shots. Also, thanks for all the reads, you guys are the !

Plagg wasn't an idiot. He knew that he wasn't very well liked. He wasn't nearly so sentimental as his Miraculous holder, who would never admit that he didn't like the black cat kwami. That was just the thing though. He and Adrien didn't have to like each other. They trusted each other. That was enough for now.

That's why Adrien never said anything on nights like this when he pretended to be asleep while Plagg slipped out of the window of the Agrestes' urban palace prison and into the midnight streets of the French capital.

Paris was never ink black. It was called the City of Light for a reason. It made him miss the times that his Miraculous holders had lived before the technology that allowed for this kind of thing. As he cracked the window behind him, Plagg took a deep breath of the warm Paris air. Far below, taxis were honking as they wove through the typical traffic of the street. Tourists in varying shades of intoxication pounded up and down the sidewalk as the drank in the nighttime atmosphere. The smells of dinner from gourmet restaurants drifted up to his nose. It made his stomach rumble when he caught a sniff of camembert, but he shook his head remembering what he was doing.

The best thing about nighttime was the fact that the black kwami could zip over the heads and streets of Paris without notice, and that's just what he did. He wove around the streets and over roofs and chimneys towards the brilliant glow of the Eiffel Tower.

He felt his spirit lift, unburdening itself of the day's worries: Hawkmoth's growing frequency of attack, Adrien's struggle to keep their secret, and the strain the multiple transformations were having on him. He arrived at the top of the Eiffel Tower and swiveled around anxiously in a circle, looking for her.

He felt a weight settle itself on his back as two red hands covered his eyes nimbly. "Guess who!" a squeaky voice demanded.

"Yeesh, Tikki, we're the only ones every up here, how many times are you going to do this?" he grumbled.

She removed her hands, giggling, and he turned to face her. As always, the kwamis saw each other in their true spiritual form, not the tiny, cute versions that their holders and the rest of the world saw. Tikki was in the red jumper she had opted for when she was summoned by her current holder. It was cherry red with black buttons down the front and frilly little cap sleeves. She wore red kid gloves and red flats to match. Her red hair was in two matching buns with little black bows. Her wide blue eyes could swallow the moon.

His face relaxed into a smile seeing his old friend. Though she was thousands of years old, she always managed to dress like a twelve-year-old. They actually both looked about twenty or so, but Plagg dressed like it. He always wore a black suit jacket and dress pants with a grey dress shirt. His brilliant green eyes absolutely glowed out of his dark face. The sat on the edge of the top platform of the Eiffel Tower, surveying the city beneath them.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Tikki was distracted by all of the life below them, and he was distracted by her. As she watched the city, he could only look at her. Tikki was different than him. Everybody liked her, and she liked everybody. There was no limit to her love for the world and for these humans, even after everything they had seen.

In the past, their Miraculous holders had always been close to one another. They had seen war, corruption, death, and sadness come at the hands of what humans could do to one another. All their holders could ever do was keep things at bay until the tide overwhelmed them and they died, leaving the kwamis to find new homes and new partners, with no guarantee they'd see each other again.

Plagg loved all of his Miraculous holders as sure as Tikki did, but his heart could only take losing so many of them before he felt the need to harden it. Adrien could very well be the best holder he had ever had: despite everything that the world had thrown at him, he was still driven by the need to help people. Plagg could probably learn something from him… but he wasn't ready to lose the kid yet. If he opened his heart to him, he would only get hurt in the end.

Tikki didn't walk through life with that fear. She freely and fiercely loved her Miraculous holders, the idiot. She would almost let herself get destroyed in the process of serving them and helping the world. She saw each new day as a blessing and life as an inevitability that was owed to her.

"Tell me who your holder is," he asked her, just as he did every time they met like this for the past year since they'd been summoned.

She looked at her cat-eared companion, and her lips pursed, her eyes just barely welling with the beginnings of tears. "I can't," she replied, like she always did every time he asked.

He knew what she was going to say, but it never stopped him from asking.

"She trusts me," Tikki continued, looking up at the stars. "She wants her identity to remain a secret from your holder… from the rest of the world. I can't break my word."

"Tikki, it's a matter of safety," he growled, his brow deepening and the corner of his mouth rising in a displeased curl. "Every other time we've been summoned, our holders have known each other within the week. Besides…"

He didn't want to say it, but a part of him wished that stupid kid knew who Ladybug was so he'd stop putting her on a pedestal. With some of the mystery removed, Adrien might finally give that pigtailed girl from his class a chance. The baker's daughter one, what's-her-name. Everyone could see the way that she felt about him, and something about her made Plagg trust her immediately.

"Besides what?" Tikki prompted.

"Nothing," he said, scowling further. "I just don't get why we have to wait this long."

"For their sakes," she responded, looking at him. "We are at their service, as always."

"I don't like knowing I can't always be there to protect you," he admitted. "We were created to protect one another."

"We were created to maintain balance," she corrected him. "And you are there to protect me. I can see you staring out of Chat Noir's mask every time I transform Ladybug."

He sighed, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She squeezed back. "You are my best friend," he told her. "And I feel like our holders could be, too. I think that would only make them stronger… but if you say so."

"I do," she said firmly, standing. "Not that that will stop you from asking me again next time."

He grinned. "You know me too well."

She surprised him by standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, Plagg. Au revoir."

"Au revoir," he responded dimly as she dove off the Eiffel Tower and went zipping through the streets towards her home.

He was tempted to follow her, but he restrained himself. Plagg already missed her as she grew farther away. He knew people didn't like him… but Tikki did. And she made him feel like that was enough. She was his other half, and together, destruction and creation, they had been fated to protect this strange City of Light. Until the day came when he could be with his Tikki again, he would just have to go on keeping Adrien safe and slowly teaching him how to responsibly use his powers… the kid had a lot to learn, but his heart was in the right place.

Plagg chuckled a little bit as he thought about this, putting his hands in his pockets. He took in another breath of the nighttime Paris air before plunging off the Eiffel Tower and disappearing into the night.


	4. A Hat for Adrien

A/N: Hey guys, thanks so much for bearing with me the last few weeks! Finals and stress are crazy! Thanks for the support - it means a lot to me to be able to log on and see all the positive comments! Anyway, as a reward, here's a longer chapter (also my first attempt of Emma and Gabriel) so enjoy! :D

* * *

 **A Hat for Adrien**

Summary: Emma tries her hand at making a hat for baby Adrien… much to Gabriel's amusement.

* * *

When the baby wasn't sleepy, Emma didn't bother even trying to lay down. And her last trimester, her son didn't stop moving when it got to the nighttime, making her worry that his nocturnal habits would keep after he was born. She was already losing enough sleep as it was. As the child kicked again, she stopped, placing one warm hand on her abdomen and smiling. He was worth it.

In Emma's wildest dreams, she would not have believed that she of all people would end up married to Gabriel Agreste, but a blind date with the aspiring fashion designer led to a three year courtship that ended in their marriage. Now, Gabriel was making enough off of his designs to start his own brand and hire his own assistants and designers to work for him, and they were having a child… a boy to be exact.

Gabriel surprised her initially when he said that he didn't want to know the sex, but she accepted his decision and respected it… that didn't mean that the next ultrasound she had she didn't find out for herself, but that was another matter entirely.

She stared out the window at the hazy, faux-sunlight produced by the streetlamps and business signs and even the distant light of Eiffel Tower. It _was_ very late… probably two in the morning… and still, Gabriel wasn't home. He was never home these days.

Emma picked up her knitting needles with renewed determination, carefully wrapping the green yarn around the purple aluminum stick and trying to push the other through the loop. She was just being hormonal, really. Logically, she knew that Gabriel was out so much because he needed to run his business and let it bloom. It provided for her and their unborn child.

But…

She couldn't help the overwhelming feeling of emptiness that came over her sometimes when he wasn't there. She had felt an indescribable warmth radiating from her abdomen while her son had resided there, and she just knew it meant that he was going to be special. He would be her whole world and outshine the sadness therein. She wanted Gabriel here to feel that. She wanted…

"So here is _mon petit_ ," a voice behind her sighed, accompanied by the sound of a bag dropping on the floor. A moment later, she was enveloped from behind where she was sitting at the desk by the window in a hug that swept every bit of loneliness right out of her. "Isn't it late to be city-gazing?"

Emma's full pink mouth screwed up in a playful pucker. "Isn't it a little late to be just returning from work?" she replied.

Gabriel's smiled pushed up to his eyes behind his slightly askew glasses. Now that the money had started coming in, she knew it wouldn't be long before those glasses would be replaced with nicer, newer ones, but she loved these ones. "Will you ever forgive me?"

His face was a little bit stubbly as she turned slightly to take it in her hands, letting her project drop to her lap. She gave him a soft, deliberate kiss on the lips. Pulling away, she opened her eyes slowly. "It's not me who you need to get forgiveness from," she said, looking down to her distended belly.

With an even warmer smile, Gabriel kneeled down, swiveling around her chair to come face to belly with her. "My sincerest apologies, Baby Agreste."

Emma giggled at his antics as he stood with a goofy grin. His eyes slid over to her project with a quizzical look. "Is that a… pot holder?"

"Oh no," Emma groaned, laughing a little and hoisting the little thing up. "It's supposed to be a hat! For the baby!"

"A hat?" Gabriel repeated, taking it from her to examine it. It was full of dropped stitches and stretched out pieces… so she wasn't the best knitter. "Em, it's May. The baby won't need a hat for awhile."

"Oh… but it'll come sooner than we think," she mumbled. "Forget it. It was a stupid idea."

Gabriel laughed. "Far from it. I think it's a good one. Green to match your eyes… and hopefully the baby's, too."

"Tch, Gabriel," she murmured, blushing.

"I want our child to look just like you," he said, kissing her on the forehead before turning the hat over in his hands again. "Nobody wants to see my ugly mug on a baby. I just wished you had told me about this. I can get Bernadette down at the studio to make one for you if you'd like."

Emma pouted slightly. "It isn't the quality I care about. I want Baby Agreste to have something made with love from someone who will always love them."

Gabriel looked surprised, but his whole face softened as he tousseled Emma's hair slightly. "Leave it to you to say something like that and make me love you even more."

She blushed again with a groan. "Gabriel!" she complained. "You're so emotional! And they say I'm the hormonal one."

He laughed. "What can I say? I guess I'm just ex-hat-tic that we're having a child."

Emma's face darkened playfully as she put both hands on either side of her baby bump. "No puns around Baby Agreste! I don't want that horrible habit rubbing off!"

"Oh, don't tempt fate like that, _mon cherie._ "

They both laughed, and when they finally calmed down, Emma was glowing with contentment. "I wish you could be home more often," she said quickly. He looked up at her in surprise. "I only mean… since the doctor confined me here for the rest of the pregnancy…" she trailed off. "I just wish we could spend more time together. Who knows how much of it we have left?"

"Oh, Em," he said, getting down on one knee again and putting the hat on the desk so he could take her hands. "We have so much time together. I wish I could spend every moment with you, but it can't be that way."

"I know," she smiled with a slight shrug. "And it is getting better. Those days when you were first starting were the worst."

Gabriel chuckled. "Remember when I had those three jobs? A fry cook, a tailor, and a secretary all at once? Things have definitely gotten better. And one day, I'll have all the time in the world for the both of you."

Emma sighed, play pouting. "I wish that day was today."

"What would you have me do? Stay here all day and run the business from indoors? Never go out and just be a hermit?"

He said it in a teasing tone so she knew he wasn't serious. Still, she sighed. "I suppose not. Although, it'd be nice, wouldn't it?" she giggled, adopting a teasing tone as well. "You could run the business from here, and we could have family dinner every night. Even when it came time for school, we could always just homeschool Adrien!"

His eyes widened in shock, and she thought over what she just said as her husband blinked. "A...drien?" he said finally. "Like… like my father?"

Emma let out a small gasp as she realized what she had done. "Oh, I… I, uh, meant if it's a boy!" she said frantically. Realizing that he wasn't convinced, she deflated, looking down. "Oh, I'm sorry, _mon cherie._ I tried to keep it secret, I really did."

He placed his hands over hers and lifted her chin so she could see his beaming face. "Don't ever apologize to me, _mon ami_. You're having my child… my son. Son. Heh," he said with a little laugh. "I wonder if he'll be a better knitter than his mother."

Emma let out a startled laugh, hitting him lightly. "So mean!" she chastised him.

Gabriel laughed, helping his wife to her feet. "Now, to bed, little gremlin. My son needs his sleep, and so does my wife."

"And what about you, Papa Agreste?" she asked, holding out a hand.

"I'll be up in a minute, _mon cherie,_ " he promised, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss it before releasing it.

She was asleep when she hit the bed.

* * *

When Emma awoke in the morning, the bed beside her was empty. She sighed, standing and walking into the sunbathed sitting room. She looked around at the clutter, wondering if she should begin to clean it when something on the desk caught her eye. She walked over, a small smile forming on her face when she saw that it was the hat, completely finished… and perfectly at that. No dropped stitches, all in neat, ordered rows. She picked it up, relishing in how soft it was only to see the note underneath it.

 _For my Adrien - from someone who will always love him._


	5. Good Luck Adrien

**Good Luck Adrien**

A/N: Omygoodness you people are the best! I love you guys so much for sticking around! Forgot to say last chapter, but special s/o to thebooknerdgeek. I'm so glad you liked Plagg by Night! I was a bit nervous about it because it was different than I've done before. Finals week is finally coming to a close so I hope to keep on adding. Also, please let me know if there are any pairings you'd like to see! I'm open to trying anyone from the series! :D

* * *

Summary: Ladybug shows up at a Ladybug convention thinking she'll surely stick out, only to be surprised when no one seems to notice her. Well, _almost_ no one. (My first Ladrien!)

* * *

Conventions made Marinette uncomfortable. Horribly, horribly, _horribly_ uncomfortable. _Especially_ because this one was being held in her honor. It was like Comic-con had exploded all over the lobby of the Grand Paris Hotel. All around her were Ladybug cutouts, Ladybug action figures, model yo-yos, fanart, action pictures, and yes, even souvenirs from some of the more memorable Akumas (like a guy whose car had been miraculous'd back into prime condition.)

Still, she thought with a sigh. Alya would be disappointed if she didn't make an appearance. The girl needed constant material for the Ladyblog. After she had taken a deep breath and transformed, Ladybug walked into the lobby, expecting a swarm of people on her. Instead, nobody batted an eye.

Confused, she opened her eyes, the cringe that wrinkled up her features smoothing out as she realized nobody was going to badger her. Then she understood. Nearly everyone around was wearing a Ladybug costume or Ladybug gear.

She almost laughed out loud as she realized that the one place she would be invisible in Paris was among her biggest fans at an event specifically in her honor. Still, as she looked around, she was surprised just how many of these people had no idea she was standing right next to them. Shrugging, she decided to make a round or two before heading out. There was no sense in stopping now. Plus, she was curious.

She snooped around all of the booths, listening in on people's conversations about encounters with Ladybug and Chat Noir or being wrapped up in Akuma activity. It never failed to amaze her just how much faith Parisians put in her crime-fighting duo. It left a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach though.

"Ladybug?"

Her eyes widened as she turned around, wondering who recognized her. She came face to face with none other than Adrien Agreste. Oh, why did he always have to look so perfect? From golden locks to sun-kissed skin to effortlessly casual dress, seeing Adrien always made her tongue seize up in her mouth.

"A-Adrien!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"You remember me?" he asked, his eyes widening in slight surprise as a smile grew on his face.

"Of course I remember you!" she said quickly. "I mean, who couldn't? You're per… I mean, you're just so, um, you! And that's… good," she finished her tangent, her face burning. She felt like she could hardly look at him.

To her great surprise, he laughed, just like he did that day in the rain when his umbrella closed over her. She looked up at him in surprise. "It's good to see you," he said shyly when his laughter died down. He had a slight pink tint to his cheeks.

EH?

Was Adrien Agreste really being bashful? Around _her_?

"It's good to see you, too," she said, surprising herself with a coherent and even sentence. "What _are_ you doing here though?" she asked.

He hoisted a plastic shopping back sheepishly. "Adding to my collection."

It was all Ladybug could do to not scream. Her mind was racing. _AdrienAgrestehasaLadybugcollectionAdrienAgrestehasaLadybugcollectionAdrienAgrestehasaLadybugcollectionAdrienAgrestehasaLadybugcollectionAdrienAgrestehasaLadybugcollection! Does this mean he's a fan?_

"Oh," she said simply.

His cheeks turned a darker pink as he glanced away. "Yeah… it's just, um… it's nothing. I just, you're my favorite superhero and all."

Oh.

Of course. Ladybug's heart sank in her chest. Everyone in Paris loved Ladybug, why would Adrien be an exception? She looked down. Jagged Stone liked her, Alya liked her, even Chloe Bourgeois liked her. Everyone liked Ladybug… she wished that she could say the same for Marinette.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, yanking her back to the present.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine," she said, waving both of her hands. "I just… I didn't expect to be so invisible here. You're the first one who's noticed me all day."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, I could pick you out of the crowd anywhere, m'l… uh, Ladybug," he said, smiling warmly.

She returned it. She heard a warning beep on her earrings. Without using lucky charm, Tikki could hold her form for longer, but eventually the little kwami ran out of energy. And the last place that Marinette needed to transform was a convention with her biggest fans.

"Uh, I gotta go, my-"

"Miraculous," he supplied, blushing again.

"You know your stuff," she said appreciatively.

"Yeah, well… I follow you pretty closely," he said, again with that shy smile. "Even when you're not saving the city, you're still amazing. I bet your alter ego is, too, whoever she is. She may not wear the suit, but I bet all of Paris is in love with her, too."

Her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his spring green eyes.. "Thank you, Adrien," she said, finally.

"For what?" he asked, looking taken aback.

She smiled, positively beaming. "What you said just now… about my alter ego. I don't know if it's true, but it's nice to hear it all the same."

He smiled at her in response as her Miraculous beeped again. A look of concern crossed his face. "Ladybug, you'd better go!"

Seized by a sudden bit of courage, she lurched forward and gave him a kiss on his warm cheek. As she pulled back, they were both blushing.

"I… um," she said, searching for an explanation.

"Yeah," he agreed, reaching up to touch his cheek.

Her earrings let out another furious beep, and she looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, gotta go." Running out of the hotel, she wound up her yo-yo before taking off into the streets of Paris.

As she did, Adrien chased after her, bursting out of the lobby just as she disappeared from view. He sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. He should have stopped her. Should have told her who he was. Should have begged her to finally tell him who she was. Instead, he stood there like a dolt.

He reached up and touched his cheek again. It was still warm from where she kissed it. He sighed. Ladybugs were supposed to be lucky; he bet a kiss from one was, too. Maybe one day he'd be lucky enough to find out who she was.

One thing is for sure. It'd be miraculous.


	6. Adrien v Napoleon

**Adrien v. Napoleon**

A/N: Hey y'all! Thanks for sticking with me. It's been a rough couple of days, and it's hard to write in that shape. Anyway, I'm back. Here by El Presidente I's request, is (my first) Adrienette compounded with a fear of dogs. It's a little more serious than the rest, but I hope you like it. Also, I've gotten a few of questions about translating: 1) that's such an honor, thank you! 2) of course you can go for it! Just be sure to stick my name on it to, alright? Thanks for your patience (and support) - anyway, here we go…

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Summary: It's Adrien to the rescue when Mari needs help with homework, but it's Marinette's turn to do the rescuing when a Chihuahua goes rogue.

* * *

"How is he doing?" Alya worried over the phone.

"Napoleon is fine," Marinette giggled as the little yapping Chihuahua ran around the apartment. Her parents were out for date night so it was just her and the excitable creature.

"Thanks again for dog-sitting," Alya said again. "Who knew my cousin was allergic? But he'll be gone back to Nice tomorrow, and I'll be over as soon as I can to pick him up!"

"It's really no trouble," she reassured her again, watching as Napoleon found his squeaky toy and began shaking the living daylights out of it. "Are you still coming over to work on Chemistry? I still need to study for the exam and do the worksheet, and you know I'm an absolute mess when it comes to Chemistry."

"That's why I called," she said, sounding sheepish. "I have to keep my cousin company. But don't worry, girl! I found a perfect replacement!"

As she said it, the doorbell rang. "Who…?" Marinette wondered, walking up to the door. As she did, she picked up Napoleon and dropped him off in her parents' bedroom. She opened the door and came face-to-face with Adrien Agreste. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Uh… hi," she squeaked.

"You can thank me later," Alya laughed. "Good luck!"

The phone line went dead and Marinette was left staring like a fish out of water.

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien said with a smile, his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Uh, hi."

"You already said that," he pointed out.

"Did I? Sorry. You're great. I mean, sorry," she said bashfully looking down. "Come in?"

"Thanks," he said, stepping past her into the apartment. "You needed to study, right?"

She nodded.

"I already finished the worksheet," he said, sitting on the couch and taking out his textbook and notebook. "But I can help you through it. The review will help me, too."

"Thank you," she managed to say without tripping over her own tongue. "I have to… my books," she said, pointing up toward the loft.

"Go ahead," he said with a smile. "I'll be here."

She dashed upstairs, nearly tripping three times on the way up. When she got up there, she quickly located her bag, yanking out the folder and notebook that she needed along with a pencil before dashing back down the stairs.

When she got back down, she was surprised to find Adrien staring at a picture of her and her mother hanging on the wall. It was from Sabine's last birthday, and Marinette was hugging her from the side as both ladies beamed. With a jolt, Marinette remembered that Adrien's mother wasn't around.

"I got my books," she said, strangely able to put together her words.

Caught up as he was in the picture, he hadn't heard her coming, and he jumped back, his face flushing bright red. "Oh, good!" he exclaimed, returning to the couch.

She joined him, hardly believing that she was sitting next to Adrien… _Adrien_! She took out her worksheet, and they began to work on it. He was actually really good at Chemistry whereas she was not so he was able to help explain concepts that previously made no sense to her.

They were nearly a half hour in when Mari stood up to excuse herself. "I have to check on Napoleon," she explained.

"Napoleon?" he asked as she walked off.

"Alya's dog," she answered, opening the door to her parents' bedroom.

Immediately, the energetic dog burst out, his little claws scrabbling all over the floor as he dashed into the living room, barking the whole way as he found his way immediately to Adrien's bag.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so… sorry," she finished slowly as she went into the room only to find Adrien standing on top of the back of the couch, clutching his bag, wide-eyed.

His chest was rising and falling rapidly as he watched Napoleon run himself ragged around the floor, trying and failing to leap onto the couch. He licked his lips, a crease appearing in his brow. He squeezed his bag so tightly that his hands were turning white.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I… um," he said, licking his lips again as his eyes followed Napoleon.

A lightbulb went off for Marinette. "Are you afraid of dogs?" she asked.

His eyes flicked to her for a moment, looking terrified. Then they were back on Napoleon. Immediately, Marinette crossed the room and scooped up the tiny dog. She put him back in her parents' room and brought some food and water for him before securely closing the door behind her.

When she entered the room again, she found Adrien sitting on the couch, still holding his back. His whole face was red, and his mouth was in a frown that broke her heart. "I'm… sorry," he said.

"Don't be," she replied softly, sitting down next to him. "He was going kind of crazy. Almost like you were a cat."

Adrien surprised her then by giving a most un-Adrien-like snort.

She giggled, but it died down. "How long have you been afraid of dogs?"

He shrugged. "As long as I can remember. When I get around them, it's like I can't even breathe or move."

They were quiet for a moment after this.

"I'm afraid of clowns," Mari admitted. "They've always freaked me out."

He looked up at her. "Clowns?"

She nodded. "Can't stand them."

Adrien smiled then, a real, eye-crinkling Adrien smile.

"Let's make a deal," Mari said suddenly, seized with a courage she couldn't explain. "I'll protect you from dogs if you protect me from clowns." With that, she stuck out her hand, her pinkie finger extended. "Do you know how to pinkie promise?" she asked, noting his confused look.

"Yeah," he said. "I've just never done one before."

"Oh," she said, feeling blood rush up to her face as she began to lower her hand. "Sorry, if you didn't want to-"

She was cut off as he suddenly jerked his hand up and clumsily fit his pinkie in hers, squeezing tightly. "Promise."

She looked up into his spring-green eyes as he said this, and she felt her heart flutter all over again for Adrien Agreste. She was learning things tonight. Things like him being good at Chemistry and afraid of dogs. She liked that. It made him feel more… human. That kind of made her love him even more.

"We should get back to Chemistry," he said, his face suddenly flushing as he broke their hands apart.

"Uh… huh… yeah," she said, her brain just as broken as it had been that day in the rain.

As she tried to focus on the page, Adrien turned and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. His heart gave a little lurch, and his eyes widened. _What was that?_ he wondered. _Could it be that I…? Huh._

"A...drien?" she asked clumsily. "Uh, on fourteen number… _I mean number fourteen!_ Sorry, did I - was shouting? Um, I mean… ugh, sorry," she said, placing her face in her hands.

Adrien laughed, scooting a little closer to her. His heart sped up. "No worries. Let's see about number fourteen…"

* * *

Adrien dashed behind a building, opening his shirt to shake his kwami Plagg awake. "Come on, Plagg, we have work to do."

"Uggggh, what is it now?" the black cat whined, yawning.

"A clown is in the park handing out balloons, and Marinette is taking Manon there to play."

"So what?"

"So… oh, come on already. Mari needs Chat Noir's help," Adrien scowled.

"Oooh, so it's Mari now, is it?" the kwami taunted him.

"Shut up!" Adrien said, a blush crawling into his cheeks. "Plagg, claws out!"

"You know, this is what they mean by abuse of poweeeeeer!" Plagg shouted as he was twisted into the ring.

Adrien completed the transformation, turning into his leather-clad alter-ego. "No," he frowned at the ring. "This is what they mean by pinkie promise!"

With that, he took off through the city towards the park, intent on helping Mari.


	7. A Poem for Ladybug

**A Poem for Ladybug**

A/N: You guys are the best, and I mean it. Power through whatever you're going through right now: finals, writer's block, another week, etc. You are really amazing, and I promise good things are coming. :) And thanks for all the sweet reviews!

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Summary: Adrien is having a hard time coming up with the words to say to Ladybug when Valentine's Day comes around… luckily Chat knows he can count on Marinette to help him out.

* * *

"Your perfume is so sweet… uh… uh… it smells nothing like feet? Oh, no, that's all wrong," Adrien sighed, balling up the piece of paper and throwing it in a trash can already overflowing with rejected versions of the poem.

He'd been working for the past few days on a new poem for Ladybug for Valentine's Day. The whole debacle with Dark Cupid last Valentine's Day hadn't left him any time to tell Ladybug how he felt, but he wasn't going to make that same mistake this year. She would finally know how he felt!

… except the words weren't coming to him.

He really thought about it and opened his heart to pour his feelings onto the piece of stationery, but nothing was coming out. None of the words that had come so easily to him the year before were now coming, and he was left scrambling the night before Valentine's Day.

"Ugggggghhhhh," he groaned, his head falling against his desk.

Plagg roused, staring blearily across the room at his Miraculous holder.

"Come… up… with… something… you… stupid… brain," Adrien said, hitting his head against the desk with every word.

"I don't think that's how that works," Plagg yawned.

"You don't know how love works," he scoffed, glaring at the black cat kwami.

"I may know someone who does," the kwami offered.

"Really?" he asked, lifting his head and raising his eyebrows.

"Well, sure. That Marinette girl from your class. Didn't your teacher give her full marks on your poetry assignment last week?"

Adrien blinked. He hadn't thought about that. But how was he supposed to go to Marinette for help? She hardly even talked to him at school… plus he wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know about his feelings for Ladybug.

He sighed, putting his face in his hands.

Wait… of course! "Plagg…"

"Don't tell me you're about to do what I think you're about to do," the kwami grumbled.

* * *

"Claws out!"

"There we go, Tikki," Marinette hummed, spinning the finished beret around to observe it from all angles. "I still can't believe that Sabrina invited me to her birthday party."

"Well, she did say she wanted the whole class there," the red kwami giggled.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Marinette asked, looking up at the ceiling. There were footsteps above. "Tikki, hide."

"Are you sure? You may need Ladybug."

"And have whoever is there wondering what Ladybug is doing in Marinette's room?" she laughed. "I'll be fine, Tikki. Just hide now," she said as a knock came on the door above her.

Climbing up to reach the door, she opened it a crack only to be met by the Cheshire grin of none other than Chat Noir.

"Chat?!"

"Hey, Marinette!" he said with a grin. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," she said. She had forgotten that it was snowing out, and a little bit of it clung to his hair and cat ears.

He climbed down carefully. "Sorry to _drop_ in like this."

She let the pun slide as he shivered a little. "Can I get you a blanket?"

He nodded with a shy smile.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, as she fetched a lavender blanket and slung it around his shoulders.

"Oh, uh," he said, his face turning red. "Well, I was hoping for your help with something."

"Oh?" she asked, turning her back to him for a moment and smiling to herself. "Not another supervillain, I hope."

He gave a throaty little sound that she recognized as a laugh, much to her surprise. "No, no, no more Evillustrators to catch."

"So then you only came to try your puns out on me?"

"Well, they are pretty purr-fect," he said, sitting across from her where she sat at her desk. "But you're wrong again."

It was her turn to laugh a little bit. "So what then?"

"Well, you know tomorrow's Valentine's Day," he said shyly, looking down. "And I was hoping you'd help me write a poem for a special lady."

"Oh, yeah?" Mari asked, ready to be annoyed. After all, the superhero was so flirtatious, there was no telling who he was talking about.

He nodded vehemently. "But I can't think of the right words to say. When I try to write, there's just… nothing."

"Well," she said, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. "All a poem is in the end is telling someone how you feel. So maybe what's blocking you isn't the words not coming, but the feelings. How does she make you feel?"

"Happy," he answered, leaning forward and placing his hand on his cheek as he leaned on the desk. "Like every force in the world could be working against me, but one smile from her would make it all better."

"That's good," she said, scribbling it down. "What else?"

"She makes me feel inspired," he continued, watching as Marinette's pink pen flew across the paper. "I want to be better because she is so good, and she puts so much good in the world."

"Mhmm…"

"And she makes me feel valued," he said finally.

"She… what?" Mari asked, looking up in surprise.

"She makes me feel valued," he repeated, looking back at her. He shrugged. "I don't know. She makes me feel like who I am matters to her. Sometimes I feel like people see me the way the expect me to be, but when I'm with her…" he shook his head, trailing off.

She stared at him. "You don't think people appreciate you?" she asked.

"Well, no, that's im-paw-sible, right?" he joked, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down.

She leaned over so she could look him in the eye. "I appreciate you."

He blinked back at her. "You… you do?"

"Well, sure," she blushed. "You're brave and selfless and kind."

He stared at her then with a smile.

She felt her face turn even more red. Holding her hands up and waving them, she continued, "Y-you know, all of Paris appreciates you, Chat. You're our punniest superhero."

"Did… did you just…?" he spluttered.

She laughed. "Alright, so we have the material. Now, all we have to do is put it in the right order."

Her phone beeped as it turned over to midnight. She jumped.

"Sorry," Chat said. "I didn't realize how late it was. I can go."

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "I want to help. How about we start with… hmm..." she trailed off, concentrating.

"Hey, Marinette?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."


End file.
